I have camped at Albert Pike for over 25 years and Nothing this devastating has ever happened there since I have been alive. And by this flood happening with people I have grown up with and work with being there at the time of the flooding, proceeds to give new prospective. I think that, as an avid camper and a born and bred ark-la-tex girl, that sirens are a great idea. I'm not saying that it would save everyone if something happened like this again but if it helped save one extra life then it would be money well spent. And BrentR- I think you may need to reconsider your thought process. You are correct at saying it is the responsibility of the camper for their safety,but nothing could have prepared these campers for what was to come. The weather alert didn't even idicate significant weather for that area until most of the campers were already asleep and I dont know if you have ever been to Albert Pike but no one would have ever thought something like this could have happened. These campers lost children/spouses, when you write your thought put yourself in their shoes. b/c nothing compares to losing a child, let alone your entire family. You were very hurtful and disrespectful to these tragic losses!

@ BrentR- You call adding a siren and rangers babysitting? We have ranger stations at "most" state parks already. They are there to protect the park from people and to advice people on safety. There is nothing wrong with wanting to better a state park so that people won't get hurt in the future. Just think...if there had been better communication or cell coverage then more lives would have been spared. Not to mention more job opportunities for having a ranger station in that area. These people were trapped and could not GET to higher ground! Have you ever been on a river that rose 8ft in under an hour in the middle of the night with your children sleeping next to you with NO warning whatsoever? You say you feel for these people...so how can you really "feel" for these people with your arrogant comments you just made? You have obviously never lost someone very close to you!

The government isn't needed to babysit Arkansans. Do Not change anything there, no sirens, no need for 24 hour rangers babysitting people, a warning sign prominently displayed to REMIND campers is enough. People are responsible for their own safety, if you're in a steep, rocky, narrow bottomed valley/canyon/wash & it's raining it's up to YOU the camper to move to higher ground. I feel for all the people who have experienced loss but we need to keep our heads & stop calling for knee jerk actions.

There is another option. Like camping in a safer area.

I agree with you RBarker...sounds like a great idea! I think it's going to be hard for most people to want to camp here anymore unless they change some things like that....plus just the sadness of the area now. So horrible!!

I have camped at Albert Pike for over 53 years and love it. Our prayers go out to the families that have lost loved ones. I always take a weather radio but the reception is so bad I have to go outside my camper and then I can only barely hear it. Maybe they need another repeater in the area for weather radios, also a tornado type siren would be good that could be activated remotely if a flash flood warning is issued. There is no cell service either.